The drive from Mount Rogers in Virginia was mostly in pouring rain.
This area is definitely coal mining country, there were plentiful signs of coal
mining, coal conveyor belts over the road, places with names like 'Coal Bucket
Deli' and so on. You have to sign a legal waiver, saying that you are
aware that the mountain might collapse due to coal mining, to be allowed to go
to the high point. I parked on SR-160 at the Virginia/Kentucky state line, where the
road to the highpoint is marked for the FAA radar. I expected that I would
be poured on, but it mostly just stayed foggy and misty. The road passes by an FAA radar near the top.
Distance of 3.2 miles round-trip, elevation gain 455 ft.